my new chihuahua..questions :)

[jenny3590]

hey everyone, i just got a chihuahua puppy about a week ago and she is 5 months old. i have some questions... first does anybody have any potty training advice? i have to use the potty pads because i live in an apartment on the fourth floor. im constantly watching her and when i see her start to do her "potty dance" i take her right to the pad but she walks right off of it and pees on the carpet. i even try and hold her there until she goes but she just wont go on the pad. so frustrating! ha so any advice? and also...she is the biggest cry baby EVER! if i leave her side she will cry and if i put her in her crate she cries (and im talking ear piercing cries where it hurts my ears) i didnt know something so loud could come out of a little 2 pound dog. i ignore her but still no luck. one more...she is so dependent on me! how do i get her to be a little more independent? she literally growls at everyone but me. help. thanks everyone

[jenny3590]

P.S. would litter box training her make it easier?

[Robin]

Hi Jenny, Congrats on your new puppy! I started a loop the other day on indoor potty training of my 15 week old chi Oliver because I have been having some problems. I found alot of help on this forum from members and I also found a website of a breeder who litter trains all of her puppies who aren't chis, but are papillions to be really helpful.
Basically what she does is cordon her pups off into a small area, either in a laundry room, kitchen or playpen so that there are only room for three things. The puppies bed, the litter box, food and water. This way the puppy has no choice but to use the litter box when it gets out of bed. They will very rarely soil their bed if they don't have to. I have been using wee wee pads that are pre-treated with a scent that attracts the puppy to use them and I put them in litter pans made for small dogs that I got at PetSmart. Oliver always uses his litter pan when he is in his play pen, and when he is out of the play pen I put a litter box in my kitchen and family room this way he has two choices of which one to use. Every time he uses one I make sure to say "go potty" in an upbeat voice and then reward him with a treat. This way he gets to know that go potty means to do his busines where you want him to when he is on the pad. It was slow going for a little while but he seems to be getting the hang of it now. Just check out the thread that I started titled indoor potty training. It will give you some good feedback from other members. Good luck!
Robin

[princess j]

I found litterbox training was the best for Bianca. We're on 4 1/2 acres and too many critters out there to train her to go outside. I swear by the litterbox. It takes a little time and a lot of patience to train them, but they will learn to use whatever method you choose for them. I like the fact that when she goes potty in the litterbox, I'm just able to scoop it out, and it's done. We use TidyCat scoopable litter, and it's great! Potty pads didn't work for her as she would just play with them. Newspaper worked o.k for her, but she didn't like the sound it made when she stepped on it. Good luck with the training and let us know how it goes!
Welcome to the forum! Hope to see you a lot more!

[zealot]

Hi jenny...

Living in a small apartment with no garden either, really, apart from the front lawn that is not fenced in, I cannot train mine to go outside either. they are on newspaper, because they dig and bury in the litter and they eat pee pads, paper works best for us.
You should read the thread about indoor potty training for more info.

As for the ear drum bursting high pitched screams, i have that too. It must be a girl thing. My boy never did that. Nyuschka cries and squeals, i am convinced our neighbours believe i beat her the way she carries on.
Nyuschka is also very dependant on me, she follows my every footstep (i cant go to the bathroom alone). But i am lucky that i have Gordy too, my older male, bcs he distracts her a lot. I am hoping she will outgrow the whole dependancy thing some when she gets a little older.

Hope we will get to see pictures soon!

[TLI]

Hi Jenny!

I have 2 Chi's, Lexie, female, 8 months old. Chance, male, almost 4 months old. Lexie was the easiest of the 2 to puppy pad train. She actually trained herself. She used the pads immediately, and I can't say I remember any accidents. Now Chance was another story. I had to stay behind him all the time. He would pee, and poop where ever he stood. I would scoop him up, sit him on the pad, and say, "potty here." It took him a few weeks to get the whole thing down. I still occasionally see him "try" when he's playing and doesn't want to take time to come to the pad. I give him a "look," and he walks with his head down to the pad. He doesn't like to be scolded, so that helps.

As far as independence. Lexie doesn't want me out of her sight, and hasn't since I brought her home. She is very clingy. When I'm about in the house, she sits at the end of the gate, and watches every step I take. If I leave her for short periods to run errands, they say she "talks" the whole time I'm gone. She does this thing that isn't whining, or barking, it sounds like she's trying to say, "Mama." My oldest daughter didn't believe us until her first time to babysit. So I can't be of much help in that area. Chance occupies her some, but she is stuck to my hip as much as possible. When I'm real busy, she will hide under my bed and pout.

Now Chance, he loves me, and if I'm sitting he paws at my legs to hold him, but he is much more independent. He likes to play. He doesn't fuss when I leave to run errands. But when I return, he is so excited!

Good luck with your new baby! :flower:

[Romans Mom]

hey everyone, i just got a chihuahua puppy about a week ago and she is 5 months old. i have some questions... first does anybody have any potty training advice? i have to use the potty pads because i live in an apartment on the fourth floor. im constantly watching her and when i see her start to do her "potty dance" i take her right to the pad but she walks right off of it and pees on the carpet. i even try and hold her there until she goes but she just wont go on the pad. so frustrating! ha so any advice? and also...she is the biggest cry baby EVER! if i leave her side she will cry and if i put her in her crate she cries (and im talking ear piercing cries where it hurts my ears) i didnt know something so loud could come out of a little 2 pound dog. i ignore her but still no luck. one more...she is so dependent on me! how do i get her to be a little more independent? she literally growls at everyone but me. help. thanks everyone

P.S. would litter box training her make it easier?

Hi Jenny. Welcome, and congratulations on your new puppy. :wave: If she is peeing on the carpet, it sounds like she has too much room to start with. There's lots of good potty training information here on Club Chihuahua you can find using the search, and there are several methods that have worked well for everyone. :) I crate trained both Roman and Elle while using potty pads, and it worked well for them. If it seems like training is going slow, just give her all the time and patience she needs. She will get it. To get her to be more independent, keep using the crate like you are, if you want to, because it works well for this purpose. Make sure you don't give in and get her from the crate if she is screaming for you. Let her see you walk away from her and out of the room, without talking to her. Then when she quiets, go to her and talk and cuddle her. She will learn that you will come to her when she is being quiet. You're so right on how loud that tiny little body can be when they want you. Roman threw loud, crate-shaking tantrums. Elle can be vocal, but didn't have these demanding screams. haha They know what gets to us, for sure. :lol: Again, welcome, and keep us posted on how it's going. Barb